Robot designed to help elderly, disabled people

Twendy-One, a robot designed to help the elderly and disabled people around the house, demonstrates its ability to hold delicate objects by manipulating a drinking straw in its fingers at Waseda University in Tokyo Nov. 27, 2007. Twendy-one was designed by robotics researchers at Waseda University to have human-sized four-fingered hands cabable of picking up and holding delicate objects without crushing them.

A model displays a dress decorated with 325 Austrian gold coins

A model displays a dress decorated with 325 Austrian gold coins, with a price of about 26,900,000 JPY (233,000 U.S. dollars), at the Bunka Fashion college student’s fashion show in Tokyo.Gold hit a 28-year high on Thursday after the U.S. dollar tumbled to a record low against main currencies and oil soared to all-time highs, but the rally lost steam just a fingertip away from hitting 800 dollars.

Sony`s new rolling digital music player

"Rolly’" is displayed at Sony Dealer Convention in Tokyo Sept. 12, 2007. The egg-shaped gadget which swivels around is priced at 40,000 yen (350 U.S. dollars) and will go on sale on Sept. 29.

2.7 million yen in cash found floating down a river in Tokyo

Police used fishing nets and their hands Wednesday to scoop up 2.7 million yen (US$23,000; €17,230) in mysterious cash floating down a Japanese river, an official said.

A passer-by notified police after seeing the bank notes drifting down the Sakai River on the border between Tokyo and Kanagawa prefecture, a Tokyo police official said on condition of anonymity, citing protocol.

Police managed to catch 270 soggy 10,000-yen (US$85; €64) bills, Japan’s biggest denomination, the official said.

Police are still investigating how and why the money was dumped.